


The Hundred Ways I Will Remember You

by twicesgrey



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: F/F, michaeng
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 16:55:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23590432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twicesgrey/pseuds/twicesgrey
Summary: 1965. Japan.Chaeyoung is visiting with her parents but she's bored out of her wits. She goes to a bookstore but nothing interests her.Of course, everything is in Japanese.Until she notices a woman watching her from behind the shelves.----What's the use of five thousand books if you can't understand them?What's the use in knowing 10 languages if the only person you want to talk to can't understand you?
Relationships: Myoui Mina/Son Chaeyoung
Comments: 11
Kudos: 69





	The Hundred Ways I Will Remember You

What's the use of five thousand books if you can't read them?

Chaeyoung thought to herself as she continued to peruse the bookshelf heavily lined with travel books, running her fingers gently on the spines.

A diplomats daughter ought to know more languages than just her native tongue, her parents would always tell her whenever she whines about how difficult her language studies are.

She's been traveling since she was young, going around the world instead of playing with other children or hiding in shelters from grown men dealing with their differences with bombs and guns.

Yet adults have the gall to tell children they're too immature to understand the world.

About a week ago, it came as a surprise when Chaeyoung's father broke the news to her and her mother that they were allowed to join him in Japan during this time. Despite her mother's hesitation, her father assured them that they would never be harmed there because times were changing for the better.

Although, when Chaeyoung asked if she could go out, her father was very strict that she shouldn't go too far from the place they were staying at. They were in the heart of Kobe and quiet spots were hard to come by.

During her second morning walk, Chaeyoung found a little bookstore tucked in a corner street, away from the hustle and bustle of the pier.

Chaeyoung read the signage on the door that told her it was open but it didn't feel like it when she got inside. Not a single soul was in sight.

Seems like the owner kept the shop clean. Tidying up was a different story.

It was a bit dark and crowded with too many books and not enough book shelves. What's most surprising though is that it's not dusty or musty unlike the older bookstores she's been in.

The chimes hanging by the door should have signaled the owner that a customer was there.

Going by the time on her wrist watch, Chaeyoung has been there for a solid 10 minutes yet no one has approached her. Not a single customer has even entered the book shop.

Typically, these little book stores that survived the war would also house trinkets sold to them by people in exchange for some quick change and sometimes, books from their personal collections, often first edition prints.

Chaeyoung made it a habit to find those.

If she was lucky, she'd find dedications and peculiar bookmarks still tucked in the pages.

Chaeyoung moved along, finding the nearest stack on the floor at the end of a bookcase.

She didn't need to look that hard. Right on top of a pile lies a small book, hard, leather bound, and the pages stained yellow from age and constant reading.

Chaeyoung picked it up and inspected it under the light casting from the nearby window.

Just one look and she could tell it was a well loved book. Probably read more than once a month. It was very old too. Perhaps passed down from parent to child or gifted by someone important to a well beloved.

Chaeyoung ran her finger gently around the corners of the book, smiling at the thought that it brings her more stories. One from the author's make believe world and of the owner of the book.

She gently flipped open the cover and right there, revealed a couple of wild flowers taped on the back of the cover, flattened and preserved.

Purple, pink, and yellow flowers. Not the kind people fawned over but Chaeyoung knew, they were important to someone and that's what matters.

Since the book was in Japanese, Chaeyoung expected the dedication, if there was one, to be written in the same language.

She started to look for it and turned the page only to find that it was empty. She checked the back and found the dedication there.

To her surprise, it was written in Korean.

"This story ends here. Ours will begin when I come back. Wait for me until then because you are my home. Without you, there is nothing for me to go back home to."

Speechless. She was absolutely speechless.

An unexpected, unbearable silence has suddenly come over her.

The book was here and not with its owner. That's the story.

She had no idea how long she's been standing there looking blankly at the book in her hands. Her heart bled and she had no way of stopping it.

This wasn't the kind of story she was hoping for but it wasn't something new to her.

With a heavy heart, she gently closed the book. It was so small she could almost fit it in her pocket but in her hands? It felt like her father's almanac. It carried a weight that seemed to cause Chaeyoung's arm to hurt.

Before she could deposit it back to where she picked it up from, a moving shadow caught her eye.

Chaeyoung momentarily forgot about the book. She moved slowly, looking through the shelf to the next aisle looking for any sign of movement. 

Nothing.

So she kept walking until she bumped into a person at the end of the bookcase.

It startled her a bit; causing her to drop the book.

Chaeyoung bent down to pick it up but another hand beat her to it.

Her eyes tracked the motion of the hand, up to the arm and towards a face she's seen for the first time in her life.

She was taken aback by the sudden nervousness in the pair of eyes before her.

One look at Chaeyoung and people could tell she's not Japanese. She doesn't look Korean either (that's what she's been told since she was young). So growing up, Chaeyoung got used to people's surprised reaction and curiosity towards her big, round eyes.

"Hello." Chaeyoung greets the girl before her in Japanese.

Instead of a greeting, the response she received was a bit concerning.

The girl sharply turned her head towards an open door and loudly swallowed before looking back at her. The look in her eyes Chaeyoung would never forget.

Chaeyoung noticed a name tag attached to the front side of the girls dress.

It was in Hiragana so Chaeyoung could read it easily.

Mina. 

It was a pretty name, she thought. It suits her.

The girl held up the book she was previously holding and Chaeyoung started to slightly panic, raking her brain for the limited Japanese she knew.

"I'm-I was just looking around."

Mina looked at her suspiciously and then looked at her clothes. She wasn't wearing anything casual. Chaeyoung was fully aware that she was over dressed for a quick trip to the bookstore. You can blame her mother who never allowed her to leave the house in anything casual.

"Recommend book?" she knew she was speaking in broken Japanese but this is how she got by.

Mina's reply was walking past her and towards a box stacked on top of another.

The box wasn't taped close and Mina easily flipped the lids open.

Chaeyoung just watched Mina move about since she couldn't see what the contents of the box were.

Once Mina turned around, Chaeyoung was surprised that instead of a book, Mina was holding a huge square item.

Chaeyoung couldn't help but laugh. It was a record. A Nat King Cole LP.

She was enthralled by Mina's expression. Mina, who, just by looking at her, knew she was more into music than books.

Chaeyoung reached for the record with a smile.

"I like." Mina gets it right away.

"You work...here?"

Mina nods her head.

"Book. Many."

That gets a smile out of Mina and Chaeyoung was delighted by it. There was something in her chest that she couldn't name. A feeling evoked in her. That satisfaction upon seeing Mina smile and the urge to keep drawing a smile out of her.

"I'm Chaeyoung." she says and the smile on Mina's face dims a bit before looking at the open door at the back of the bookstore.

Mina doesn't say anything. Instead she lifts her hand and points to the name plate on her chest that Chaeyoung has noticed earlier.

Chaeyoung pretends she's just seen it and reads it out loud.

"Mina."

Mina's smile returns.

"How much?" Chaeyoung holds up the record and Mina reaches into the pocket of her dress, takes out a small notepad and scribbles on it.

Mina holds it up to Chaeyoung's face and a realization struck Chaeyoung- Mina hasn't spoken a single word to her even though she's talking to her in broken Japanese.

Slowly, she raises her hand and using her index finger, points to her right ear, then towards Mina, who was following her hand with her eyes.

"Do you hear me?"

Chaeyoung held a thumb up and waited for Mina's response.

Mina nodded slowly, little head bops that made Chaeyoung smile.

She can hear. Chaeyoung's chest was flooded with relief and decided to ask another question.

Once again, using her index finger, she points to her lips, then back at Mina, and then raises it to the corner of one eye.

Mina nods again, this time, a little more enthusiastically.

"You can lip read! That's great! I'm Chaeyoung and I'm from the Republic of Korea." Chaeyoung says slowly in Korean, enunciating every word to make sure Mina can read her lips properly.

The response was not as Chaeyoung had expected. Instead of nodding, Mina slightly tilts her head, eyebrows drawn together.

Realization hit Chaeyoung - she's still talking to a Japanese person in Korean.

Chaeyoung started to laugh. It was a quiet laugh at first, until her shoulders shook uncontrollably and then the sound of her laugh filled the whole shop.

"I'm sorry." Chaeyoung says while still chuckling, reigning control of her breathing while wiping tears from her eyes.

"I'm not laughing at you but you know what, my parents would always tell me that a lady of my societal stature has to act like one, speak like one, and be able to do it in two dozen languages. The absurdity, really."

Chaeyoung loudly inhales and exhales, leaving Mina amused.

"You can hear me but you can't understand me. Now I see why I should've studied Japanese a little harder. To be honest, I didn't think our countries would ever have ties again so I thought what's the point in learning a language I'm not going to use?"

Mina is now looking at Chaeyoung with a smile.

"And now? There is a point and I'm using my fingers to make one." she rounds it off with another chuckle.

At this point, she was just talking loudly to herself.

Chaeyoung has been going off and Mina just stood there looking at her like a zoo animal trying to crack open a coconut. A mix of confusion and a touch of frustration all topped with a polite smile.

Before Chaeyoung could say anything, Mina starts scribbling on her notepad once again.

Chaeyoung silently watches Mina as the latter is fully focused on her writing.

Chaeyoung took that moment to carefully study the woman before her.

She's probably older than me, she assesses. Perhaps a year or two?

Chaeyoung noticed the moles scattered across Mina's face and thought of her own. How she hated hers but on Mina, they drew you in first and in that moment, she realized that moles are remarkable little parts of a human being.

Mina finished writing and immediately handed Chaeyoung her notepad, leaving Chaeyoung a bit startled.

How long has she been staring?

She takes the notepad and what she sees next excites her.

"You-write Hangeul...you know my language!"

Chaeyoung was ridiculously happy for some reason.

"How?" she says in her limited Japanese.

Mina takes back her notepad and scribbles as fast as her hand could move. As soon as she was done, she holds it out for Chaeyoung to read.

"I'm so happy at least one of us has properly learned another language." forgetting Mina doesn't speak it, only knows how to write her language.

"Language. How many...you...know? Other..."

Once more, Mina takes her notebook to write and Chaeyoung watches Mina with a light heart.

After she finishes, she holds it up for Chaeyoung to read.

"You can write 6 languages? That's just overachieving."

Six languages including signing and Chaeyoung is starting to feel inadequate.

"Mina!" a male voice booms from the open door on the west side of the store but only Chaeyoung looks in the direction.

"Who's that?" but Mina continues to write; now scribbling furiously in her notebook.

Another call for Mina takes Chaeyoung's attention away from Mina and towards the door. As if the person was two rooms away but the authority in his voice was enough to shake her up. He sounded angry and in so much pain.

Before Chaeyoung could take a step, Mina takes her hand and places a folded paper in it.

Everything that happens next moves at lightning speed.

Mina is pushing her out of the door and once she turns around, the door is shut behind her, the locks click and the sign is turned around.

Closed.

She watches Mina through the glass on the door hurrying back to the opened door before shutting it too.

Chaeyoung suddenly remembers the piece of paper in her hand and decides to read it there.

"Come back the day after tomorrow. Three in the afternoon would be a nice time. - Mina"

Chaeyoung walked backwards while folding the paper and tucking it in her pocket. She holds the record up and decided to pay for it on the day Mina suggested. She took one last look at the bookstore.

Chaeyoung's mother always encouraged her to explore the world because she may never know what awaits her around the corner.

Chaeyoung smiles, "How are mother's always right?"


End file.
